Floor rack



April 14, 1942. E. w. ZANE i 2,279,545

FLOOR RACK Filed April 23, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Shee'ts-Sheel'I 2 m w e0 ,m N .f a /6 O m w/Z HU... Hmmv f2 M m w O M um E. w. zANE FLOOR RACKFile'd April 23, 1941 April I4, 1 942.

Patented Apr. 14, 1942 FLOOR RACK Edward W. Zane, Chicago, Illy.,assignor to Union Railway Equipment Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofSouth Dakota Application April Z3, 1941, Serial No. 389,873

My invention relates to floor racks for railway cars and moreparticularly to that type which is vemployed in refrigerator cars tosustain the lading for cooling or warming by the circulating medium ofthe car.

In shipping perishable freight by refrigerator car excepting thoseclasses which are customarily suspended from the car ceiling, the goodsare ordinarily spaced from the floor by wooden oor racks. By this means,it is possible to secure a free circulation of the cooling or warmingair beneath, aswell as along the sides and top of the goods while intransit. However, such racks are prone to odor absorption from thelading so that it is both diicult and expensive to maintain them in asanitary condition. Further objections are their susceptibility todamage and the ease with which they may be surreptitiously removed byunauthorized persons.

It is, therefore, one object of my invention to provide anall-rnetallicfloor rack which constitutes a permanent fixture in thecar, which can be readily cleaned and which is preferably f madeinindividual sections that are hinged to and foldable against the sideof the car to facilitate cleaning of the latter.

A further object is to provide a rack composed of sheet metal stringersand slats having specially designed sections to obtain maximum strengthwith lightness of weight -and which are appropriately perforated andspaced to obtain free circulation of the car atmosphere.

A further object is to provide a metal slat for floor racks which isconstructed and arranged to insure free circulation vand access of thecooling medium to the lading notwithstanding that the latter may extendacross the apertures in the slat.

These and further objects of my invention will be set forth in thefollowing speciiicatiomireference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel means by which said objects are effectuated willbe definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic, transverse, sectional elevation of a typicalrefrigerator car equipped with overhead, icing bunkers showing therelation of my improved rack thereto and to the flues which extenddownwardly along the side walls of the car.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation showing the lower left handcorner of the car and rack, as viewed in Fig. 1, land illustrating therelationship of the side wall flue to the transverse 9 Claims. (C1. 10S-375) n ducts on the floor of the car which are defined by the floorstringers of the rack.

Fig. 3 is a View ofthe rack looking in the direction of the arrow 3 inFig. 2.

y Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, plan view of one of the racks looking in thedirection of the Iarrow 4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, sectional elevation of the rack taken along theline 5-5 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6'is an enlarged, sectional elevation of the left end 'of the rack,as viewed in Fig. 2, showing a suggested hinge construction for one sideof the rack.

Fig. 7 is an elevation 0f one of the floor stringers, as viewed in Fig.2, showing the openings provided in the side walls thereof to facilitateair circulation.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral I designates a transverse section of arefrigerator car equipped with overhead icing baskets II and side wallfiues I2 which conduct the cool air downwardly beneath my improved floorrack I3 which sustains a lading Ill.

As indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the rack comprises a plurality of floorstringers I5 which extend transversely of the car and each of which isformed as an open top channel having a base web I6 which rests on thefloor II of the car and upwardly and outwardly extending side walls I8whose upper edges are outwardly flanged vas at I9. The stringers arespaced lengthwise of the car to dei-lne air ducts 20 which communicatewith the flues I2 and the side walls I8 may be provided with a pluralityof openings 2l to provide for air circulation between the ducts 2li.

Supported on and transversely disposed with reference to the floorstringers I5 is a plurality of spaced, channel, slat stringers 22, eachof v which comprises a supporting web 23 and downwardly andv outwardlyextending side walls 24 whose lower edges are laterally flanged as at 25,l

and the last named flanges rest on and are welded or otherwise securedto the flanges I9. A plurality of apertures 25 is spaced lengthwise ofthe web 23 and each of these apertures may be rimmed by a strengtheningflange 21.

A plurality of spaced slats 28 extend transversely of the car and aresupported on the webs 23 of the slat stringers. Each of the slats 28 isformed as a channel having a supporting web 29 on which the lading restsand downwardly and.

outwardly extending sidewalls 30 whose lower edges are outwardly hangedabove the slat stringers as at 3l, the flanges 3| bearing on and beingwelded to the slat Stringer web 23. In order to strergthen the slats andincrease their vertical section between the slat stringers, the slatside walls 30 are continued below the web 23, as indicated by thenumeral 32 in Figs. 2, 3 and 5.

Each slat is provided with a longitudinal, open top, duct 33 which isformed by depressing the central portion of the web 29 and at spacedintervals along this duct, the bottom thereof is apertured as at 34 andeach of the apertures may be rimmed by a strengthening flange 35. Spacedalong the length of each slat is a plurality of open top, transverseducts 36 formed by depressing a portion of the slat web 29 and thesetransverse ducts provide avenues of communication between the apertures3d, respectively, and the sides of the the depressed web portion at thejunction of each transverse duct with the longitudinal duct 3. A floorrack for an overhead iced, refrigerator car having side wall fluescomprising a plurality of floor stringers for extending transversely ofthe car, the stringers being spaced to provide air ducts communicatingwith the flues, a plurality of spaced, slat stringers transverse to andsupported by the oor stringers, and a plurality of spaced slatstransverse to and supported by the slat stringers, each slat beingshaped as a channel having a web and depending side walls,

' a portion of the web being depressed to form a slat, or in otherwords, these apertures occur at the junctions of the longitudinal andtransverse ducts 33 and 3S, respectively. The purpose of the foregoingducts is to insure that free circulation and access of the coolingmedium to the lading will be obtained notwithstanding the lading maymask all or a portion of the apertures 34. Under these conditions, itwill be obvious that the cool air will pass upwardly through theapertures 35 and longitudinally and transversely of the slats by way ofthe ducts 33 and 36.

My improved rack, of which only a portion is illustrated in Fig. 4, ispreferably built up in units yof various sizes which may be laid side byside on the floor of the car in accordance with the general plandisclosed in my United States Letters Patent No, 2,226,042. To this end,an L-shaped support 31 may extend along the floor adjacent each sidewall of the car and bolted thereto is a hinge bracket 38 which ispivotally connected to a convenient part of the rack unit so that thelatter may be swung to lie against the side wall to facilitate cleaningor for other purposes. Two or more such brackets may be used for eachrack unit.

Preferably, the stringers and slats are made of sheet metal ofappropriate gage which is galvanized to prevent corrosion of the parts.Rigidity of the rack as a whole is insured by the method of securing thestringers and slats together, as by welding. Moreover, tapering the sidewalls of the slats and stringers and increasing the depth of the slatside walls between the slat stringers provides for the required strengthof these elements, While at the same time permitting the use of arelatively light gage metal.

It will be understood thatthe use of my improved rack is not restrictedto overhead iced, refrigerator cars and that the advantages thereof canbe readily incorporated in a rack for refrigerator cars equipped withend icing bunkers. Under these conditions, the slats 28 may or may notextend transversely of the car and the iloor stringers would extendlengthwise of the car to provide air ducts that communicate with the endicing spaces.

I claim:

l. A channel slat for a refrigerator car floor rack having a ladingsupporting web and depending side walls, the web being depressed atspaced intervals along its length to form transverse, open top, airducts, and including an aperture wholly contained in each depressed webportion.

2. A channel slat for a refrigerator car floor rack having a ladingsupporting web and depending side walls, portions of the web beingdepressed to form a longitudinal, open top, air duct and spaced,transverse, open top air ducts, respectively, the longitudinal andtransverse ducts intersecting, and an aperture wholly contained inlongitudinal, open top, air duct and including a plurality of aperturesin spaced relation along the depressed web portion.

4. A floor rack for an overhead iced, refrigerator car having side wallilues comprising a plurality of floor stringers for extendingtransversely of the car, the stringers being spaced to provide air ductscommunicating with the 11u-es, a plurality of spaced, slat stringerstransverse to and supported by the iioor stringers, and a plurality ofspaced slats transverse to and supported by the slat stringers, eachslat being shaped as a channel having a web and depending side walls,the web being depressed at spaced intervals along its length to form'transverse, open top, air ducts and including an aperture whollycontained in each depressed portion.

5. A iloor rack for an overhead iced, refrigerator car having side walliiues comprising a plurality of floor stringers for extendingtransversely of the car, the stringers being spaced to provide air ductscommunicating with the ues, a plurality of spaced, slat stringerstransverse to and supported by the floor stringers, and a plurality ofspaced slats transverse to and supported by the slat stringers, eachslat being shaped as a channel having a web and depending side walls,portions of the web being depressed to forma longitudinal, open top, airduct and spaced transverse, open top, air ducts, respectively, thelongitudinal and transverse ducts intersecting, and an aperture whollycontained in the depressed web portion at the junction of eachtransverse duct with the longitudinal duct.

6. A oor rack for an overhead iced, refrigerator car having side walliiues comprising a plurality of oor stringers for extending transverselyof the car, the stringers being spaced to provide air ductscommunicating With the flues, a plurality of spaced, channel, slatstringers, transverse to and supported by the floor stringers, the webof each slat stringer including a plurality of apertures spaced alongthe length thereof, and a plurality of spaced slats transverse to andsupported by the slat stringers, each slat being shaped as a channelhaving a web and depending side walls, a portion of the slat web beingdepressed to form a longitudinal, open top, air duct and including aplurality of apertures spaced along the depressed web portion, each slatstringer aperture sustantially registering with an aperture in a slat.

7. A channel slat for a refrigerator car iloor rack having a ladingsupporting web and depending side walls, portions of the web beingdepressed to form a longitudinal, open top, air duct and spaced,transverse, open top, air ducts, respectively, the longitudinal andtransverse ducts intersecting, and an aperture in the depressed webportion at the junctionk of each transverse duct with the longitudinalduct, the diameter of each aperture being less than the distance betweenthe opposite corners of the associated intersecting ducts.

8. A channel slat for a refrigerator car floor rack having a ladingsupporting web and depending side walls, portions of the web beingdepressed to form a longitudinal, open top, air duct and spaced,transverse, open top, air ducts, respectively, the longitudinal andtransverse ducts intersecting, and an aperture in the depressed webportion at the junction of each transverse duct with the longitudinalduct, the diameter of each aperture being less than the distance betweenthe opposite corners of the associated intersecting ducts, and adownwardly extending ange surrounding each aperture.

9. A floor rack for a refrigerator car comprising a plurality of spaced,channel, slat stringers, the web of each Stringer including a pluralityof apertures spaced along the length thereof, and a 5 plurality ofspaced slats transverse to and sup- EDWARD W. ZANE.

